The group exchanged glances, a spark of grim satisfaction passing between them. Finally, a purpose beyond counting corpses.
Kael's lips curved into a small, tired smile as he lowered his shield slightly. "Seems we might actually earn our pay after all."
A few chuckles rippled through the group, breaking the tension for a moment. The leader turned to the mage, his expression hardening again into focus.
"Lead the way," he ordered.
The mage nodded, the glow of her staff flaring brighter as she guided them through the wreckage. The group moved in formation, Kael and two warriors at the front, the mage and the archer in the middle, and the healer watching their backs.
The deeper they went into the ruined town, the more unsettling it became. The streets were silent except for the crunch of debris beneath their boots. Burnt wood, shattered pottery, and unrecognizable remains littered the ground. The faint buzzing of flies was the only reminder that life of a sort still lingered here.
